The present invention generally relates to fixtures for illuminating a space and more particularly to luminaires having built-in activity sensors for controlling the light output from the luminaire.
Luminaires having embedded occupancy sensors to control the levels of the luminaire are well known. Such sensors detect occupancy within the space, such as by detecting motion and/or sound, and are used to control lighting levels in the illuminated spaces based on occupancy levels. Using such embedded sensors, energy savings can be realized by switching the lights off or to lower lighting levels when the space is unoccupied.
Sensors are typically mounted to the structure of the luminaire that houses or supports the luminaire's light source or sources and optical elements, such as lenses, louvers and reflectors used to create a desired light distribution and to control brightness. However, problems in locating and mounting a sensor can arise when the luminaire has insufficient structure on which to mount the sensor or when the supporting structure for the luminaire's optical elements is configured such that the sensor cannot easily be located to provide suitable coverage for detecting occupancy in areas in the vicinity of the luminaire. Furthermore, sensors located on luminaire housings and other support structures can be visually distracting, particularly when the luminaire is a prominent architectural element within a space.
The present invention provides a waveguide luminaire having one or more sensors that can be mounted to the luminaire without the limitations imposed by the sometimes small profile support structures for the luminaire's waveguide or waveguides. The sensor or sensors can be optimally located on the luminaire for effective coverage within the space being illuminated and will have minimal impact on the aesthetic qualities of the luminaire.